Liz Cheney vs. Mike Enzi and Other 2014 Primaries That Might Have Been

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz talk about his new book, “Heart: An American Medical Odyssey,” in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Dec. 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Miranda Grubbs)

Associated Press

Today could have been one of the most dramatic days on the 2014 primary calendar. That is, if Liz Cheney had followed through with her high-profile challenge to veteran Republican Sen. Mike Enzi in bright red Wyoming, where the contest would have taken place.

An Enzi-Cheney primary could have been a classic. The elder daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney launched her bid last summer, declaring that it was time “for a new generation of (conservative leaders) to step up.” Mr. Enzi is 70 years old; Ms. Cheney, nearly a quarter century younger.

She showed an ability to raise money and boasted endorsements from national right-wing radio personalities such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Meanwhile, prominent Wyoming Republicans, such as Sen. John Barrasso and former Sen. Alan Simpson, backed Mr. Enzi.

Ms. Cheney was slow to gain traction, buffeted by charges that she was a Washington-oriented carpetbagger who relocated in her family’s home state for political reasons. A public spat with her lesbian sister, Mary, over gay marriage did not help. And early this January, Liz Cheney put an end to what could have been a fascinating race by abruptly withdrawing, citing unspecified “serious health issues.”

Another “might have been” primary was in Illinois, where for a time last year Gov. Pat Quinn was being opposed by Bill Daley (of the Chicago Daleys) for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. He would have been a heavyweight challenger for the embattled incumbent. Mr. Daley is the son and brother of former mayors of Chicago, and was himself White House chief of staff for President Barack Obama as well as Commerce secretary for President Bill Clinton.

Yet Mr. Daley was in the race an even shorter time than Ms. Cheney was in hers, filing paperwork to run in July 2013 and then bowing out in September, half a year before the March 2014 primary. Mr. Daley maintained that he could do a better job than Mr. Quinn, but campaigning was apparently not within his comfort zone. He exited saying that “if you don’t get up ready to charge out of the door, that’s not where you want to be.” And as he exited, Mr. Daley made it clear that he was not in a “charging” mood when it came to the Illinois governorship.

Another potentially high-profile primary that evaporated quickly was in Pennsylvania. There, Jay Paterno, a son of the late, legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno (who was abruptly fired in late 2011 and died in early 2012) — made a fleeting bid this year for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

Jay Paterno was an offensive coach on his father’s coaching staff, a source of some ire in “Penn State Nation” among those who viewed his position as a product of nepotism. But his candidacy could have tested feelings toward the iconic coach and his treatment in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal that has rocked the university to this day. (Mr. Sandusky was one of Mr. Paterno’s long-time assistant coaches.)

As it was, Jay Paterno’s campaign lasted barely a month, derailed by an opponent’s challenge to signatures on his petition for the May primary ballot. He chose to quit the race rather than fight the challenge.

A common thread for all three former candidates is that they were making their first bid for major elective office. If they had followed through and continued their campaigns to the end, they may not have won. But they would have added an intriguing element to a primary season that has already been quite interesting.

Rhodes Cook is a political analyst and publisher of a bimonthly political newsletter.

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